Unfinished Business
by coatcheckdream
Summary: [ Salvation ] Just as Alex is given a 2nd chance, it's snatched away by someone with a burning hatred who can't let go. Can Alex convice Erin and the new found Matt to help him recapture his soul?
1. Prologue

**UNFiNiSHED BUSiNESS**

**Prologue**

* * *

He didn't like to be alone.

Tucked neatly into a corner, a little boy began to cry. Tears spilled over his cherry red cheeks, just a small child who was alone and afraid of the dark. And dark it was. There was no light from the crack under the door here ; there was no nightlight plugged in near his head. Here it was dark.

Softly, a cooing came from the shadows. A gentle, soothing sound that stifled the little boy's cries by leaps and bounds. The child's ragged head turned toward the source of the noises with eyes glazed with sorrow. He hiccupped and the calming sound drifted through the night air. All he wanted was his mommy ..

And then, a pale beam of light streamed from a window that had been opened. There, perched on the sill sat a dove. Purity at it's finest and singing it's flawless song to guide the sun back to control the sky. And light it was. Here there were no clouds to shield the comforting rays ; there were no darkened pathches of sky to disrupt perfect warmth. Here it was light.

The child gurgled happily and unballed his fists to reach out to the bird, to welcome it. Somewhere outdoors a heavy metal cage was triggered and the bars closed atop the dove. It was too late to fly to freedom now.

Perched atop the roof, sitting perfectly still, a member of the police department sat. In his hands he held a lengthy rope that was tied tightly to the cage below. A smile spread across his face as the peaceful cooing died off and an anguished wail escaped the small room below.

"Corvis, you will pay," he told the white bird as he pulled at the rope. "Because I have you now, you bastard."

Erin Randall leaned against the cold stone of Lauren's grave, taking in the setting sun. How long had it been since they had left her? Less than a year she knew but it felt like much longer. Her gaze wandered over to the less noticable grave labeled Alex Corvis and smiled at the bird that was standing near it.

A crow, dark and mysterious tilted it's head and looked up at her. Of course they were supposed to be very intelligent, but this one seemed well .. a little too clever. After a moment it looked away and began to preen the sleek feathers adorning it's body.

"Well Alex, I should be going," she told the crow as she glanced down at her watch. "I'll be back tomorrow though, you know I will." With a small nod she turned to exit the cemetary. It was a beautiful morning too. The sun shone with a brilliant sparkle that it usually lacked that time of year.

Only the bravest of leaves lingered on mostly bare branches and everywhere little children were excitedly getting ready for Halloween. It was only a few days away after all. Quietly she flipped open her cell and smiled slightly at several missed calls from "Matt". He just refused to give up on her didn't he?

She was so preoccupied by the phone that she was oblivious when the crow dubbed "Alex" began to caw in a frantic manner and quietly took to flight. Powerful wings sent him airborne and off toward a tall and distant building in the very center of the city.

Someone was fucking with his soul. His reincarnation. His one shot at life again.

The dark bird perched on the maw of a large stone gargoyle and watched as a man grinned in triumph at the dove locked into a metal prison. No matter now hard the little white bird tried to back away it would never be able to escape.

And so the crow sat, anguish mixed with determination filling it's animalistic eyes. Yet somehow they contained a human element of emotion in them. He could save his pure counterpart ... he just needed some help with the job.

* * *

"Hi Matt," Erin smiled as she took a seat next to him at the booth. She just couldn't resist the temptation of a good meal when offered to her.

"Hi Erin," he replied happily. Persistence paid off and now he had the date set to perfection. "I think you'll like what I have planned for this evening." His face took on the expression of pure innocence at that point.

"Oh I will, huh?" She raised the glass of water supplied to her lips and took a sip. It was time she moved on and let the past be. She couldn't dwell on what had become of her family just under a year ago. And plus, Matt was such a sweet guy.

The waiter appeared promptly to take orders. Erin chose a simple burger even though the place was a bit classy. Moving her straw through the maze of ice in her cup she glanced up at her date.

"So, what makes you think I'm so great? You follow me around like a puppy," she finished with a grin, actually curious for the answer. He took on a light pink hue to his cheeks for a few seconds before regaining his composure.

"You're just such an interesting person I guess," he replied sheepishly, looking at his hands. It was endearing in a way that he was so shy around her when he had gone to great lengths to capture her attention.

"I've had some .. pretty damn strange experiences you could say," she laughed at the memories that hid in the back of her mind everywhere she went. They never truely left her alone. They never would either.

"Oh? What kind of experiences?" He looked at her suggestivly, all traces of his former shyness evaporating. Erin was about to respond when a soft rapping caught her attention. It was almost like the sound of rain tapping against a window.

Or a bird.

Instinctivly her head twisted to look out the window where a large jet black bird was pecking at the glass. Seeing it had her attention it spread it's wings opened it's beak in a silent caw that didn't quite penetrate the thick glass of the window.

"I'll .. be right back. I have to check on something," she told Matt, giving him an apologetic look as she gathered her purse and dashed out of the resterant. As soon as it heard the chiming of the little bell when the door was opened it took flight. It was all Erin could do to follow it and not lose sight.

After a few blocks she came to a realization that she was headed toward the graveyard. She shook her head a few times to clear the thoughts that quickly clouded her mind. But then, standing in a thick fog that had appeared from what seemed no where stood Alex Corvis.

He was half concealed by shadows like he usually was, and he was wearing that tight black sweater that clung to his slim frame like a second skin. Somehow, he hadn't changed in the time he had been gone. Tears in his clothing where he had been stabbed multiple times were still there. The burns that scarred his face from the execution still marred the skin and gave him the mask of the crow.

As she simply stared in utter shock, he smiled. A kind of welcoming smile that clearly showed he was very relieved to see her. In truth she was elated to be able to have sight of something that was familiar but she han't quite gotten over the fact that he was there. He had died, come back, and left again. What was there here that he needed?

"Hi Erin," he greeted her quietly. The words seem to knock her from the stunned trance she was in and her eyes rapidly filled with tears. Only a few moments and she was hugging him tightly, buiring her face into the crook of his neck.

He wrapped his arms loosely around her and patted her back. It was good to see that she was still okay now that no one was here left to protect her. Even he couldn't really do anything to help here from the other side.

"Alex ... how are you here? Why?"

Her voice was full of question as she wiped the tears from her face and pulled back. He looked thoughtful for a few moments, then a smile broke across his face. A sad and questioning expression reaching his eyes behind those awful markings that adorned him.

"Erin, I need your help for something ... will you help me?"

* * *

/Prologue>

I know as of now, this is a bit confusing but it's intended to be. Don't worry, I'm putting my heart and soul into this and all will be explained in the next few chapters. Oh, and as far as length is concered this story will have more than it's fair share.

Until then, take care.


	2. Bird in White

**UNFiNiSHED BUSiNESS**

**Bird in White**

* * *

"I told you I could get it!"

The door of an abandoned warehouse burst open and with it brought with it two men. One of them carried the heavy set cage containing the dove and the other waving a gun wildly in the air. Both of them were grinning from ear to ear.

"Well I'm impressed, John, that's for sure. I didn't actually think you'd be able to grab that thing. After all, no one ever seemed to be able to get a hold of that crow when we needed it," Kevin stood from a battered table an poked his fingers into the cage.

"They were just not trying hard enough," John beamed and looked over to the remaining two at the table. "Don't you think?"

The farthest from the door stared for a long moment. "Did you know about the last guy like this I saw? Over in Los Angeles and I swear to you that they caught his crow." The man nodded thoughtfully.

"I was at the party and the guy ... Ash was it? He fell right off the fucking building after they messed with that bird. That Corvis is gunna pay for what he did to my brother." Kevin and John remained silent and exchanged looks but the last to speak stood.

"Don't worry Robert, we'll get him now that we have this," he said, guesturing toward the snow coloured bird still cowering behind the bars of it's small prison. "Now that I think about I'm pretty sure that book is around here somewhere," the man sighed and began digging through a dusty bookshelf.

Meanwhile Robert began to sing the lines from an eerie melody he had heard someplace before ... "Hush little baby don't say a word, daddy's gunna buy you a big black bird. And if that black bird doesn't sing ... well ... you know what happens."

A loud, barking laugh bounced off of the empty walls.

* * *

"You will help me, right?"

When Alex looked up there was a sort of anguished panic in his eyes that Erin couldn't quite place. What could possibly be so wrong that he needed her help to fix things. For a moment she was silent.

"Of course," she whispered, "What do you need to do?"

He smiled, taking a step forward. " I knew I could count on you. Well you see," he began, "When a soul dies, the crow is the one who guides it to the afterlife, to where it belongs. The bird will stay with the soul until another escort is provided, or when the soul is ready to be reincarnated."

He paused, watching her expression. She nodded her head thoughtfully, motioning for him to continue. Alex began a slow walk through the graveyard and Erin followed in step.

"Well, when the soul is ready be reicarnated a dove comes for it and brings it back to the realm of the living to take it's place back in life. Theres where I was headed until someone got in the way," Alex finished bitterly.

Erin stopped, looking surprised. "So you get to live again? You get a second chance?"

Alex grinned and nodded. "If all goes according to plan."

At this point Erin leapt in, wrapping her arms tightly around his slim frame. "I'm so happy ... I knew you'd get what you deserved. Lauren too," she sighed happily, but Alex pulled away sharply at the sound of voices.

"It's best no one knows of this," he told her, glancing around the graveyard as his crow perched lightly upon his shoulder and cawed. "I'll come back for you in two days exactly in this spot," he said and disappeared promptlyinto the growing fog.

Just as Alex went, Matt appeared, a confused and slightly hurt expression on his face. "Someone said they saw you come in here. What's wrong?" He took her hand and guided her back to the now darkened streets.

"It's nothing, really. I just ... remebered I forgot something here from this morning," she lied quickly. Matt seemed to buy the excuse and a happy smile slid into place. "I'm betting dinner is cold by now, but we could always catch a movie or something," he suggested.

"No, it's alright. I'm sorry. I'll see you tomorrow though?"

" ... Yeah, sure," he said with a slight smile playing on his lips as he hugged her goodbye. "I'll see you tomorrow then!" And with that he turned and walked slowly back to his car and drove away.

* * *

That night Erin couldn't seem to get to sleep. Every time she was sure she was comfortable she found herself turning over again and before she knew it the moon was high in the sky, filtering through her curtains and assaulting her eyes.

She sighed at stared into the beam of white that washed over the room. She had once been told that when you had something serious on your mind it was harder to sleep. Credit to whoever figured that out because they sure as hell were right.

Erin couldn't help but feel that something was off. Something she couldn't quite place.

* * *

A large crow perched on the sill of a grimy window that looked into an empty warehouse. It cawed once, saw that no one was left inside and began pecking upon the glass. To the night it was a loud echoing noise, but only barley caught the attention of the dove.

It cooed softly from the other side of the glass but the sound was drown out by the thick barrier. Just as he was about to break the glass a member of that damned police squad shifted through the shadows and through the door. So with that, Alex flew back into comfort of the shadows.

* * *

You see, Alex was no longer what he was. What he had come back to do in the world in the first place had been accomplished, and therefor he really had no other reason to be there. The supernatural powers that once protected him were no longer.

The crow, however, was still his guide. Just as the dove was to the new spirit that would become Alex's next chance at living. The chosen child, named Patrick Alexander, was still endowed with the powers of immortality. His dove guide had yet to leave and take them back.

Alex and this Patrick were intertwined distantly in the sense that they were to share the same soul. Most people were starting to think that in those modern times that sort of "witchcraft" was occuring, but they would be wrong.

And as the bird cloaked in white gazed longingly out the window, it knew what those humans would do. Kyle Demure, the quietest of the men that had been sitting at the table eariler flipped through as thick battered book.

"Don't worry little bird, it won't be so bad," Kyle smile sympaically but kept on looking for something he knew he was sure to find.

* * *

Morning came in a bright array of colours that morning with fat clouds dragging lazily along the sky. The days were becoming colder now and the time just ticked by until there would be snow on the ground and Christmas lights all around.

Erin didn't even need to wait until the alarm clock went off to crawl out of bed. She really hadn't gotten that much sleep with all the thoughts that were making her thoughts fuzzy. Like every other day, she slipped into the shower quietly then got dressed and ate.

Like every other day she went off to work where she knew Matt and Alisa would be waiting for her. Just like every day she pulled away at exactly 7:00 am for her morning journey to the same building she went to every day.

Unlike every other day she had an unsettled feeling in her stomach everytime she saw black.

* * *

Part two:3

Things might become a bit clearer from here on out. I'm not really sure when I'll have the time to write the next chapter for this,but I'll try to get it done fairly on time. Key word being "try".

Take care,

x Kitty


End file.
